M5 fiber
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M5 fibre is a high-strength synthetic fiber first developed by Dr. Doetze Sikkema and his team at the Dutch chemical firm Akzo Nobel. Currently, it is being produced by the United States Magellan chemical company.
[edit] Preparation
As with all polymers, M5 is prepared from Monomers. With the addition of an extremely hydrophilic and acidic compound (diphosphorus pentoxide) to the two monomers, tetraaminopyridine and dihydroxyterephtalic acid, a chemical condensation reaction is started that aligns the monomers and fuses them through chemical bonds along the length of the molecular strings, a process known as a condensation polymerization.
The polymer mixture is then heated and extruded to form brightly blue polymer fibers. In order to wash the phosphoric acid (a result from the polymerization reaction) out of the polymer, the fibers are washed extensively with water and base.
In order to remove the water from the fiber structure and enable the intermolecular hydrogen bonds to be created and thus immensely increase the strength of the polymer, the fiber is heated and exposed to controlled stress. This aligns the fibers in the optimal configuration.
[edit] Properties
M5 is lighter and stronger than Aramid (Kevlar, Twaron) and UHMWPE (Dyneema).
M5 is more fire resistant than meta-Aramid. It is the most fire resistant organic fiber yet developed. It's less brittle than carbon fiber and will yield when stretched.
[edit] Chemical structure
A link to the chemical structure of M5 can be found here:
